Cantharidin
Pronunciation: kan-THAR-ih-din
A vesicant chemical derived from blister beetles used topically to treat molluscum contagiosum and warts.
Full Definition
Cantharidin is a potent vesicant (blister-inducing) compound secreted by beetles of the family Meloidae, most notably Lytta vesicatoria. In dermatology, it is applied under occlusion to molluscum contagiosum papules and verrucae, causing intraepidermal blistering that destroys the lesion. It is not FDA-approved in the United States but is widely used off-label. Editors should note that 'cantharidin' is spelled without an internal 'h' after the 'ant-' prefix, a common typographic error. Clinical documents often specify the concentration (typically 0.7–1%) and the occlusion duration.
Usage
Usage note: Do not add an 'e' to produce 'cantharidine' in clinical dermatology copy; 'cantharidine' is an older chemical synonym but is not standard in current clinical usage.
In Context
- "Cantharidin 0.7% solution was applied to each molluscum lesion and covered with an occlusive dressing for four hours." — Clinical procedure note
- "The author misspelled the agent as 'cantharadin'; the correct form is 'cantharidin'." — Proofreading annotation